Steering devices in the form of power-steering systems may be supported by the internal combustion engine of the vehicle, in that the internal combustion engine provides torque for operating a servomotor.
In addition, models, which estimate each current torque requirement of mechanically driven, ancillary components such as an air conditioner or power-steering system, may be stored in the control system for internal combustion engines or gasoline engines. With the aid of the torque requirement of the ancillary components ascertained in this manner, the supply of additional fresh air in an air-controlled system or the supply of additional fuel in a fuel-amount-controlled system may be appropriately adjusted, in order to cover the torque requirement of the ancillary components, without reducing a vehicle drive (propulsive) torque that is generated as a function of a torque input by the driver via an accelerator. On the contrary, the propulsive torque of the vehicle can be held constant in response to an unchanged accelerator position.
In order that the required torque may be generated with the necessary dynamics in response to a rapid, positive load change, the appropriate amount of oxygen or fuel necessary for combustion must be available in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. If the internal combustion engine of the engine is in an efficiency-optimized or exhaust-optimized operation, then it may not be possible to rapidly increase the oxygen or fuel concentration in the combustion chamber because of the inertia of the components used in the air system or fuel system. Therefore, a so-called derivative-action signal in the form of a torque reserve is generated early, which allows the air ratios or the fuel ratios in the combustion chamber to be adjusted in a foresighted manner.